The Hollywood Regency look embodies glamour, found in details such as chandeliers, bright colours, padding and patterns.

I promised my soon-to-be 13-year-old daughter we could re-do her bedroom for her upcoming birthday. She likes girly colours such as pink and purple but not overly girly decor like frills or a canopy bed. I seem to be finding only photos that are girly and frilly and haven't found any that please her highness yet. Do you have any ideas or inspiration? And now, of course, my 15-year-old son wants to know why we're not redoing his room.

Help!

Cassandra

Oh, to have teen children. From everything I've heard and witnessed, it only gets more expensive from there on in. Better you than me, Cassandra!

I hope you and your princess like the photo I chose. It's from designer Ivonne Ronderos, principal of Miami's Dkor Interiors. Ivonne designed this candy-box bedroom for a teenage girl when she redid the family's Miami condo. Ivonne tells me her client's only mandate was that she make the space colourful by using different colours throughout the entire residence. And that she did. Take a look at the complete project on her website, dekorinteriors.com.

Ms. Ronderos was inspired by the Hollywood Regency style. By making the walls, draperies, ceiling and floor primarily one shade of deep pink, the repetition of colour helps her achieve this look. The bed and chair, upholstered in a latte colour, diffuse what could potentially be a very girly bedroom, as does the absence of a plethora of pillows on the bed. You mention your daughter likes pink and purple. Why not choose one as your primary colour and balance it with something a little less sweet so that your daughter doesn't tire of it too quickly? And remember, the room can easily be painted again in a couple of years, but ideally the bed or any upholstered pieces will last until you wave her off to university.

I absolutely love the unexpected use of pattern on the ceiling. And though you cannot tell in the photo, it's actually a glassbead geometric-patterned wallpaper. You can imagine the glistening glamour at nighttime as the crystal chandelier reflects on the ceiling. The white mouldings and trim applied to the walls and ceiling gives the room added detail and breaks up the pink surfaces. And it's actually a relatively easy DIY project, should you want to take it on.

I hope this photo passes inspection with the birthday girl because I think it demonstrates how to decorate a feminine room without making it goopy or girly.

Before I run out of space, tell your son I didn't forget about him. The bedroom on the left belongs to the brother of Lady Pink. The entire wall behind the bed is padded and upholstered in grey suede and looks like a chic log cabin in the sky. How suave is that?

The designer carried through the detail of a geometricpattern wallpapered ceiling sans glass beads and added masculine chrome accents with the ceiling fixture and table lamps. I like that the royal blue accent colour is used sparingly as a pop of colour against a background of basic grey/taupe neutrality, in contrast to the colour approach used in the girl's room.

This room looks like what most 15-year-old boys dream their first apartment will look like: a sleek bachelor pad. And if your son is smart, he'll have you do this for him while you're still paying the bills.

Good luck with what surely will be two decorating projects in your house!

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